“MAKAWALU”
Napua (Pihana Productions)

Maui-resident recording artist Napua — previously known as Napua Grieg and Napua Makua — made history in 2014 when she asked that her album, “Lei Kulaia,” be removed from the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards final ballot so that she would not be competing against her mother, Hulu Lindsey, for Female Vocalist of the Year. Napua had won the category in 2008 and 2011, and her last-minute sacrifice paid off; her mother (an Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee) won the category. With the recent release of “Makawalu,” Napua is a front-runner to win the category in 2018.

Napua opens with “E Manono,” a chant honoring the ali‘i wahine who died in 1819 fighting at her husband’s side defending the indigenous religion of the kanaka maoli (Hawaiian people). A composer credit is not provided, but Napua explains in the liner notes that the chant “memorializes her fearlessness and sacrifices for kuleana.”

From there on Napua puts her stamp on island classics by Lena Machado, Maddy Lam and Bill Lincoln, and Larry Lindsey Kimura and Peter Moon. Multi-talented Kamakoa Lindsey-Asing sets lyrics written by Prince Leleiohoku to a new melody with “Ka Malanai Song,” and Napua adds a haole tale of powerful women with her remake of Lorrie Morgan’s 1997 country music hit, “As Good As I Was To You.”

Napua completes her impressive new album with a 14-page liner notes booklet.

Visit napuamusic.com.

“THE BEST OF METAL KALIKIMAKA VOL. 1-3”
Tin Idols (Tin Idol Productions TIP0017)

Among the many contributions to island rock that Gerard K. Gonsalves and Tin Idol Productions have made since the release of “Jesus Christ Supernova” in 2013 are their “Metal Kalikimaka” albums of Christmas season standards played as mainstream metal. This year’s “Best of” recycles 11 songs picked from the previous releases.

Producer/drummer Gonsalves is the foundation of the project. He is the only musician who plays on every song. Studio engineer/assistant producer Jimmy Caterine plays guitar on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” The list of other participants includes Sandy Essman, Pali Ka‘aihue, Kevin Jones and Darrell Aquino.

Gonsalves personalizes “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” as “We Wish You A Metal Christmas,” and in what may be the ultimate contradiction in terms, also includes a full-force “crank it up” arrangement of “Silent Night.”

Visit facebook.com/tinidolproductions.